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Ah, the roads of Noto Hanto, memories from years ago of being in the left seat in the middle of a swarm of Mazda Roadsters (aka Miatas), carving up these roads. Where did all the people go?
Ah, the roads of Noto Hanto, memories from years ago of being in the left seat in the middle of a swarm of Mazda Roadsters (aka Miatas), carving up these roads. Where did all the people go?
That sounds like a great experience!
We will be going back, though we've said the same about many such trips, and always seem to find other places to go...
As to all the people, mid-week, during a pandemic, with no school holidays, made sure things were about as quiet as they get.
Bliss for both fun driving and safe interactions.
I walked up that rock path nearly 10 years ago. Didn't make it to the base though, as it would take a stroll through the water. Looks like not much has changed, including the haircut.
Last edited by various cheeses; 08-01-2022 at 10:46 AM.
@various cheeses Hey, that's pretty neat. We did not know Mitsukejima was there, until we were driving down the coast...
Looks like you were there on a nice day.
Driving South, we stopped for lunch in a re-purposed utility shed (right), and looked out over the water as we ate.
Old road tunnel.
Another dis-used road tunnel.
This one includes a side tunnel, called the Kissing Tunnel.
Part of the old roadway, looking decidedly unsafe!
Our destination was Wajima-shi, and we arrived early enough for an onsen and a walk around town.
Number two in a series of Cars that Match Their Buildings?
A Copen, with the optional Transformers-pack.
I liked the matching yellow and black accessories...
Video summary of some of the roads we drove this day...
The West coast of Noto Hanto has supported fishing and shipping for many years.
There are still little seaside Edo-era villages, and many have been kept in their traditional form.
Some villages, like the one above have the occasional modern Taisho-era building, and with this example, a barber.
We were tempted with the turn off to Touge, it was however the name of a town (道下), and not a touge (峠) to drive.
The village of Kuroshima, a little further South, was home to wealthy shipping merchants of the Edo-era.
They started sailing the coastal routes in the early 1600s, and some of these homes date from this time.
Most of the streets were too narrow for the Cayman, so we took a slow walk in the 35C heat.
We admired the postlady - in her sun-faded Japan Post van - running to deliver parcels and letters to each of her stops.
The '10m' on the power pole is the height above mean sea level to assist in tsunami evacuation.
A warning common in many seaside Japanese towns.
Our destination today was the Chirihama Beach Driveway.
Six or so km of hard sand above the high-tide line.
Boxster Spyder side intakes smoothing the side view of a Cayman.
Populated with seaside restaurants and cafes, and a popular tourist destination for a lot of rental cars, and a few locals.
The Tokyo plates on the Cayman, regularly getting comments from other drivers.
Straying off the hard sand is an invitation to get stuck, but the view is good, driving so close to the coast.
After a quiet fish lunch, we hit the expressway for our next destination...
That thumbnail from your video looks familiar as well. Almost the same vantage point too. Amazing how little has changed in 10 years.
Nice! The earthworks for the new suspended stairway are obviously just starting. But, the same trees are continuing to fight the harsh Northerlies still...
Our next stop was in Kanazawa, so we tanked up and hit the road...
Stopping to inspect what appeared to be an old bus depot workshop.
After Kanazawa, we were meeting some friends in Takayama, and made sure to get there early to enjoy some of the local streets.
You can wander aimlessly through many Japanese cities, finding little pockets of interest everywhere. Here, a quiet shrine behind some more modern houses.
Japan has 72 microseasons (sub-seasons; below Summer, Spring, Winter, and Fall), and one of our favorites is Swallows Return.
Swallows Return is after Distant Thunder and before Wild Geese Fly North and First Rainbows.
It is the first week in April, it marks the start of the swallows' looking for last year's nest site, chirping, and enjoying their affinity with humans across Japan.
They love door openings, and are happy with close human contact.
These two were guarding their nest above a shop's front door.
The sugidama (ball of cedar strands) marks an osake-ya, a shop selling sake.
Backstreet walks.
We wondered what activity was going on in what appears to be a Taisho-era bank, and were happy to discover fresh sandwiches and cool drinks, sitting down in the AC accordingly...
Our accommodation was a machiya (shop-house), and it was fitted out very nicely with a large living area, huge bedroom, and a bathhouse.
This is the downstairs shop, operating as a coffee house / breakfast bar.
The side street on the right is too narrow for a Cayman, and with road works on the 'main' road out the front, we were left with no choice but to drive the wrong way down the one-way street.
Even though we had the road crew as an escort with their luminous baton, the locals were not impressed with the Tokyo number plate undertaking such gauche antics.
Upstairs though, was a delight with a huge soft bed in an air-conditioned cool space.
The view outside from the bath was in the typical Japanese style, and a long soak after the day on the road was very nice.
The engawa off the upstairs bedroom was equipped with some chairs, perfect for an afternoon coffee and little snack from downstairs.
Local covered market - stalls during the day, restaurants at night.
We'd planned a touge run for the next day; only open in Summer, and limited to cars - no trucks or motorcycles allowed.
The lower reaches of the road wound up a typical Japanese valley, rough bedded river, with the road precariously cut into the sides of the valley with an ever-increasing steepness.
The Hakosan Shirokawa-go White Road is a touge that climbs 1400m over the mountains, with a speed limit of just 20km/h in some places.
Previously known as the Hakusan Super Rindo, it runs from Ishikawa-ken to Gifu-ken, and a rindo is a forest road, and this one is known for its Autumn leaves' colors.
While the lower reaches of the touge were fun, with clear sight lines, and wide edges, the upper parts became tighter and with significantly less run-off, catch rails, and protection.
Not only that, but the cliff sides went from gentle slopes to shear drops to the river below...
We modified our speed accordingly!
Mid-week, traffic was slight, and we took the opportunity to stop and admire some of the great views.
With heavy snows in winter, the touge is only open for the warmer months of the year.
Starting on the far right, you can count five parts of the touge in the one shot - winding up, through, and across the gorge.
Looking back down the valley, you can see why motorcycles are prohibited! Arrggghhhh...
The down-side is a little more tame, but still tight and we slowly cruised into the heritage minka village of Shirakawa-go accordingly...
Here's the Hachi-Roku vid of the road, and it's a great summary of some of the segments and the views combined:
Ahh I’ve been to that covered market in Kanazawa. I remember some guys carving up a tuna with a head bigger than my body.
If you’re still in the Kanazawa area, take a trip down to Komatsu to see the car museum. My grandparents lived near there and we’d go through every visit. Unfortunately you can't sit in them!
Last edited by various cheeses; 09-01-2022 at 09:53 AM.
There Hakusan White Road is really a beauty. There are several nice easy hikes along the road as well. The entrance from Shirakawa-go is just about an hour from my house on the back roads. I like to go on a nice day and get to the toll first- around 6:30 am. Then I can take it at my own pace. I just wish it was longer.....
The motorcar museum is worth a visit. next time you're in the area let's hit it up together!
Ahh I’ve been to that covered market in Kanazawa. I remember some guys carving up a tuna with a head bigger than my body.
If you’re still in the Kanazawa area, take a trip down to Komatsu to see the car museum. My grandparents lived near there and we’d go through every visit. Unfortunately you can't sit in them
Some of those tuna are just amazing.
The medium-sized jaw, slow roasted, is one of the best eating you can get!
Unfortunately, we had to pass on the car museum, as we had to be over in Takayama for dinner, and wanted to visit Shirakawa-go.
That 300SL looks gorgeous - and no ropes too! Just a discrete sign, cool...
Originally Posted by Peteinjp
There Hakusan White Road is really a beauty. There are several nice easy hikes along the road as well. The entrance from Shirakawa-go is just about an hour from my house on the back roads. I like to go on a nice day and get to the toll first- around 6:30 am. Then I can take it at my own pace. I just wish it was longer.....
The motorcar museum is worth a visit. next time you're in the area let's hit it up together!
Sounds a good plan!
Porsche on a touge, big lunch, and a car museum.
An early start for some of your local roads, would be very pleasant!
Great place to be based, with so many nice roads for sure...
On this day, we were in World Heritage listed Shirakawa-go in time to have a quiet walk around.
Strange to be in such a famous tourist place, mid-week, during light Covid-19 restrictions, and have no one about.
We were pleased to see more buildings being tidied up and repaired since our last visit.
This kura though, looks like it could do with some attention.
Usually full of buses and cars, the top car park was empty.
Entirely.
In Takayama, we parked at our hotel, and went for an afternoon coffee in the quiet streets.
Some of the tourist areas had activity, but nowhere near as much as this time of year should have.
It was very pleasant to not be hit in the head repeatedly with a selfie-stick though.
Meiji- and Showa-era together.
This stout brick kura was now converted to a shop, and many of the other historic buildings are also being repurposed as Japan self-discovers local experiences.
After eight days on the road, we were now approaching home...
Now on the way back to Kanto, we again took back roads, this time to our next destination in Yamanashi-ken.
As this was our last day, we took more stops than usual to explore.
Seldom used these days Clean Hi-Octane pump.
While lost machines are a common sight across Japan, unlike in some places in the West, it is rare to see them displayed with a sense of humor.
Here, a Datsun Sunny carries what I think might be a Mazda B360?
The weather was great and the roads were clear.
We liked this set of matching kura, and the elaborate namako on their lower walls.
We joined the Chuo Expressway to take us South, and a roadworks shot as once promised...
Be-winged Silvia.
Sun comes up over Kofu.
Open expressway into Tokyo.
The Chuo Expressway morphs into the Shuto-ko, and with a bit more traffic we came into Shinjuku.
Passing straight through Tokyo, we were home just after lunch, for the last shot on the roll of film...
Just wanted to say Hi! Glad to have found another Japan person, I’ve just left Tokyo for a small detour in Okinawa for a few years but should be back there soon. Sodegaura is awesome, but I spent most of my time at Sportsland Yamanashi! Cheers!
07-30-2022, 08:23 AM
